PREVIEW: Swimming & Diving Headed to Wyoming

By: Sam Boender

M Swimming & Diving: #24 Mines at Colorado College – Laramie, Wyo. – Saturday, 9:15 a.m. [Mountain West Network]

W Swimming & Diving: #18 Mines at Wyoming/Northern Colorado – Laramie, Wyo. – Saturday, 9:15 a.m. [Mountain West Network]

FIRST ROAD TRIP
It’s the primary highway journey of the season for the Colorado School of Mines males’s and girls’s swimming and diving groups because the Orediggers journey to Wyoming this Saturday. The males will go head-to-head with the Cowboys in twin motion. For the ladies, will probably be a tri meet with Wyoming and Northern Colorado. First board of diving begins at 9:15 a.m. with swimming beginning at 11 a.m.
 
NOTE THE LOCATION
Fans planning to attend this Saturday’s meet ought to notice the placement of the occasion. All diving and swimming shall be hosted at Laramie High School positioned at 1710 Boulder Drive in Laramie, Wyo. The zip code is 82070.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
A free dwell stream of Saturday’s motion shall be provided free of charge by means of the Mountain West Network. Live outcomes may also be tracked with a subscription to the MeetCellular app.
 
RMAC NETWORK CHANGES
For Mines dwelling occasions, followers ought to notice that this fall the RMAC Network moved to a pay-per-view mannequin for all occasions. Fans should purchase month-to-month and annual subscriptions that can present them entry to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A month-to-month subscription prices $25, and an annual subscription prices $130. Single-game passes can be found for $10, which grants entry to a single sport for twenty-four hours. For technical help questions, followers can contact Hudl Support or e mail the RMAC instantly (rmac@rmacsports.org). For further support, fans can visit the RMAC Network Help page.
 
THE FORMAT
As talked about above, the primary motion on Saturday shall be diving. It has not been introduced if the primary board shall be 1-meter or 3-meter. After the primary board of diving, racing begins at 11 a.m. The race order may be discovered beneath. During the swimming, two totally different breaks will permit for the ladies’s second board and the lads’s second board. Men’s scoring shall be normal dual-meet factors. Women’s scoring falls underneath the tri-meet format with finishes awarded factors compared to each groups.
 
RACE ORDER
Friday’s swim slate contains 12 complete occasions with two relays and 10 particular person races – generally known as a regular quick order. The distinction this weekend shall be extra of a deal with sprints and fewer distance motion. The tentative order of occasions is beneath.
– 400-medley relay
– 200-free
– 50-back
– 50-breast
– 200-fly
BREAK (WOMEN’S DIVING)
– 200-IM
– 200-back
– 50-fly
– 200-breast
BREAK (MEN’S DIVING)
– 500-free
– 100-IM
– 200-freestyle relay
 
RMAC SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Oredigger sophomore Vladislav Kazakin received RMAC Swimmer of the Week on Thursday because of his performances towards Colorado College final Friday and towards #5 Colorado Mesa on Saturday. Against the Tigers, Kazakin received the 100-free and swim on the bronze-medal 400-medley relay staff. On Saturday, the Highlands Ranch High School graduate exploded towards the nationally-ranked Mavericks and received each race wherein he appeared. It began with a gold medal within the 1000-free because of a time of 9:51.44. Then, he dominated the 500-free by over 10 seconds, stopping the block at 4:39.48. That time additionally broke his personal pool report set one week earlier than. Kazakin completed the day because the third leg on the first-place 400-freestyle relay. It marks the primary weekly award of Kazakin’s faculty profession.
 
PROGRAM RECORDS
Last Friday’s twin towards Colorado College yielded a number of program data for the Orediggers. The first to strike for Mines was Bruno Albertoni in his first-ever collegiate diving occasion. It was additionally the primary time an Oredigger competed in diving in over a decade. The true freshman hit a stellar sequence within the 1-meter (6 dives) occasion and posted a rating of 320.40. The tally was adequate for first place and toppled the earlier program report held by nationwide champion Richard Williamson. The rating additionally met the NCAA qualifying normal. After Albertoni’s report, fellow true freshman Mikaela Khan broke out within the 200-fly. She received the occasion in 2:05.87 and took down teammate Savannah Karas’ earlier report – each adjusted for altitude and unadjusted. Khan’s time additionally went underneath the NCAA “B” qualifying normal.
 
FACILITY RECORDS
So far this season, 4 totally different Mines Natatorium data have been damaged 5 occasions. The first pool report to fall was the 500-free by the hands of Vladislav Kazakin. He posted a low 4:40 time on the primary official weekend of racing. Then, final Saturday, he broke his personal report once more after swimming 4:39.48 to win the 500-free towards Colorado Mesa. Ava LaBrose did her harm to the report wall final Friday towards Colorado College when she took down Mia Wood’s natatorium report within the 200-free. LaBrose stopped the clock at 1:53.62. Finally, afterward Saturday, Colorado Mesa’s males put their title on the pool’s 200-breast and 400-IM data.
 
NCAA QUALIFYING
Most Oredigger swim followers know that Mines does not gather a majority of its NCAA qualifying occasions till the mid-season TYR/CMU Invitational at Colorado Mesa or on the convention championships. This yr is totally different. Through two weekends of racing, three totally different girls have posted NCAA “B” occasions and one man touts a NCAA normal as nicely. Against Colorado College, Anna Bream churned out a “B” lower within the 400-IM. Khan’s record-breaking 200-fly was a NCAA time as nicely. LaBrose rounded out the trio of NCAA qualifying together with her 200-free efficiency. Unlike swimming, assembly the diving qualifying normal can occur virtually anytime. That’s what occurred with Bruno Albertoni in his first two collegiate appearances. His report rating towards Colorado College and a bronze-medal rating towards Colorado Mesa each met the 1-meter NCAA normal. He’ll now have the possibility to go to nationwide qualifying the day earlier than the beginning of the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships to punch his closing ticket to the large meet.
 
TAMING THE TIGERS
Mines’ girls final competed towards Colorado College and the lads had been part of the motion too. The Oredigger girls received their twin by a rating of 159-81 and the lads posted a positive 138-107 margin. Women’s highlights from the twin included Ava LaBrose’s pool report within the 200-free, Mikaela Khan’s program report within the 200-fly, and NCAA occasions from LaBrose, Khan, and Anna Bream. Additionally, a number of Orediggers got here inside fractions of a second of breaking many different facility data. For the lads, Bruno Albertoni stole the present within the first Oredigger diving motion in over a decade. He received each the 1-meter and 3-meter occasions whereas breaking this system 1-meter report and posting a NCAA normal.
 
MEN AGAINST THE MAVERICKS
Saturday’s twin between the lads of Mines and #5-ranked Colorado Mesa was an thrilling affair. The Mavericks received the twin total by a rating of 132-109. However, the Orediggers received the swimming portion of the occasion by a rating of 104-101. That’s taking out all of the factors in diving on each side. As beforehand talked about, Kazakin’s 500-free stole the present. He additionally dominated the 1000-free by greater than 10 seconds. Other Oredigger first-place finishes included Charlie Krone within the 200-free, Jakson Winn within the 100-back, Krone within the 100-fly, and the 400-freestyle relay which featured Brenden Cook, Dan Berke, Kazakin, and Winn.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The first Division II Top 25 Dual Meet Rankings of the 2025-26 season had been launched final week by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches’ Association of America (CSCAA). Mines’ girls debuted at #18 and the lads had been #24. Drury’s males and Tampa’s girls had been #1 of their respective rankings. Other RMAC squads on the lads’s record included #5 Colorado Mesa and #18 Oklahoma Christian. Conference groups within the girls’s rankings had been #2 Colorado Mesa, #20 Oklahoma Christian, and #25 Simon Fraser. The polls are voted on by a committee consisting of Division II coaches and is supposed to replicate the highest twin meet groups in all of NCAA Division II. The nationwide rankings usually are not meant to foretell the highest finishers in a championship meet format.
 
DIVING RETURNS
Last month, Mines introduced the return of males’s and girls’s NCAA Division II diving beginning this season. Katherine Andrie will coach and look to regrow this system within the coming years. The historical past of Mines diving contains 12 all-Americans, a person nationwide champion, one of many first girls in Mines Athletics, and a number of members of the Harry D. Campbell Oredigger Hall of Fame. Just a few of these corridor of fame members embody NCAA Division II National Champion Rick Williamson, former head coach Bob McCandless, the 1983 Women’s Swimming & Diving staff, and the Men’s Swimming & Diving groups from 1981-84. That wealthy historical past threads completely with the present targets of this system and the division.
 
HOW DIVING WORKS
In full disclosure, the creator has solely lately realized the fundamentals of aggressive diving. Fans ought to notice there are quite a few nuances past what’s laid out beneath. In faculty diving, there are two primary forms of diving competitions – six dive competitions and 11 dive competitions. In these occasions, divers both performer six dives or 11 dives to gather a complete rating decided by the judges. The very primary forms of dives embody ahead, again, reverse, inward, and twisting. Those phrases discuss with how the competitor begins their dive. After figuring out how the dive begins, there are additionally somersaults, or rotations. Along with somersaults and rotations, there’s the place. The place may very well be straight, pike, tuck, or free. The later usually contains a number of positions. All of these issues are introduced earlier than the dive by means of a collection of numbers together with a letter to make clear straight, pike, tuck, or free. In six dive competitions, all dives are non-obligatory and may be picked by the competitor. In 11 dive codecs, there are six non-obligatory dives and 5 designated dives. Also, all the things talked about above can occur on a one meter board or a 3 meter board. Mines doesn’t have platform diving. And with that, the creator has exhausted his understanding of diving. Good luck.
 
STAFF UPDATES
Mines Head Coach Claire McDaniel bolstered her swimming & diving employees through the offseason. The newcomers embody Katherine Andrie, Nate Rock, Brad Shannon, and Graham Walker. Andrie, as beforehand launched, will function the lads’s and girls’s diving coach. Shannon arrives at Colorado School of Mines as McDaniel’s high assistant. Rock and Walker each competed as student-athletes for McDaniel on the University of Denver and have since gained teaching expertise across the metropolitan space. The quartet joins veteran Oredigger assistants Andy Foley and Colin Fenster.
 
MEET KATHERINE ANDRIE

As referenced above, Coach Andrie will function the lead girl for the Mines diving groups. She joins the employees with each a formidable résumé as a diving coach, and a private familiarity with Colorado School of Mines. Two of her kids, Marty and Carlie, attended Mines and competed for the Orediggers. Marty was a nine-time all-American in cross nation and monitor & area and a member of the 2015 Men’s Cross Country staff which received the NCAA Division II Championship. That staff was inducted into the Harry D. Campbell Oredigger Hall of Fame in 2023. Carlie competed in triathlon and for the membership water polo staff throughout her time at Mines. On deck, Coach Andrie boasts a number of a long time of highschool and membership teaching expertise with stops at quite a few excessive faculties within the Denver space together with Valor Christian, Littleton, Douglas County, Smoky Hill, and extra. She was named East Metro Diving Coach of the Year in 2011 and CHSAA 4A Dive Coach of the Year in 2018.
 
MEET BRAD SHANNON
Shannon arrived in Golden, Colo., over the summer time following two years as the top man at William Peace University in North Carolina. He and his employees earned 2024-25 Independent South Swimming Conference Men’s Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding WPU’s males to second-place end on the convention meet whereas the ladies took staff bronze. The Pacer’s 2023-24 squads mixed for six gold medals on the ISSC meet and broke 9 program data. Prior to William Peace, Shannon was an assistant on the University of Rochester from 2019-23. Additional skilled expertise contains work as a counselor at each the University of Florida and N.C. State swim camps. Collegiately, Shannon competed at Ohio State University and earned Ohio State and Big Ten Scholar Athlete distinction all 4 years. He was a USA Swimming Olympic Trial Qualifier in 2016 as nicely. He owns a bachelor’s diploma in worldwide research with a specialization in safety and intelligence from OSU. Shannon earned his grasp’s diploma from Concordia Chicago in utilized train science. Fans can learn extra about Shannon’s accomplishments in his on-line bio.
 
MEET GRAHAM WALKER
Walker joins the Oredigger employees following an elite newbie and collegiate swimming profession. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Walker represented Team Kenya at each the All-Africa Games and the Commonwealth Games. He went on to compete for the University of Denver underneath coach McDaniel. His high-level efficiency within the pool additionally led to serving as staff captain his closing two years with the Pioneers. Walker’s coach profession began whereas he was nonetheless in faculty, educating swimming classes, and continued after commencement. He finally accepted a proper teaching function with the University of Denver Hilltoppers Swim Club in 2022. Since then, Walker coached a number of state champions and program report holders. He returned to DU as an assistant coach in 2024 and helped oversee convention titles and continued aggressive success. Fans may discover his bio on-line.
 
MEET NATE ROCK
Rock, like Walker, competed collegiately for the Pioneers after graduating from Boulder High School. Rock represented DU from 2017-20, and took on teaching tasks in 2021. He scored staff factors for the Pioneers on the 2019 Summit League Championships, ending fifth within the 500-free and sixth within the 200-back. He did the identical once more in 2020 and added a fourth-place end within the 1650-free. In addition to his teaching expertise at DU, Rock additionally served because the coach at Boulder High School and is in his second yr guiding the University of Colorado membership swim staff. His bio may be discovered on-line on the Mines Athletics homepage.
 
SQUAD SUMMARY
The Oredigger males’s squad options 21 on its roster whereas the ladies tout 22. Each roster options one diver with 20 swimmers and 21 swimmers, respectively. Mines’ males have 11 getting back from the 2024-25 staff with 10 contemporary faces. Included in these contemporary faces are eight true freshman, one redshirt freshman who’s in his second yr at Mines and one NCAA Division I switch in Charlie Krone who accomplished his bachelor’s diploma on the University of Tennessee. The Oredigger girls boast 14 returners, seven true freshman, and Gabi Batol who will dive after attending Mines for one yr already. Most notable among the many males’s returners is sophomore Vladislav Kazakin who was a two-time all-American and received a number of RMAC gold medals as a real freshman. A powerful group of returners for the ladies is led by senior Jordan Tierney who’s a five-time all-American after qualifying for the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships all three years of her collegiate profession up to now.
 
FRESH FACES
Fresh faces for the Mines males embody Bruno Albertoni (diver), Evan Angeline, Fausto Angelone Lopez, Aidan Bailey (redshirt), Dan Berke, Jack Fulham, Charlie Krone (Tennessee) Nathan Moss, Jackson Steider, and Reid Wilkerson. The latest Oredigger girls are Gabi Batol (diving), Anna Bream, Willow Coburn, Samantha Crane, Kaya Flaherty, Mary Flikkema, Mikaela Khan, and Michelle Murphy.
 
AT THE HELM
Colorado School of Mines Swimming Head Coach Claire McDaniel is in her seventh season on the helm for the Oredigger women and men. McDaniel received her fourth RMAC Coach of the Year on the lads’s aspect after guiding the Orediggers to staff silver on the 2024-25 RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships. She additionally owns three RMAC Coach of the Year awards on the ladies’s aspect. Through six seasons, McDaniel has coached 5 RMAC Swimmers of the Year, 4 RMAC Freshmen of the Year, and 27 all-American performances together with 23 particular person occasions and 4 relays.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers will take a pair weeks and taper in preparation for the TYR/CMU Invitational hosted by Colorado Mesa from Nov. 19-22. A full preview and dwell protection shall be obtainable the day earlier than at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can sustain with Mines swimming on “X” (previously Twitter), Facebook and Instagram at @MinesSwimming. They may sustain with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all yr lengthy on Facebook, “X” and Instagram utilizing the deal with @MinesAthletics.